"A/N: This is the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Oh, no, this is not the version you're familiar with. This story is based off of Serena Valentino's spin on it when she wrote it for Nightmares & Fairy Tales. Haruhi will be Little Red Riding Hood and Kaoru will be the wolf that she falls in love with. Oh, and just so you know, in this story, Haruhi's mother is alive.
P.S. Ranka is Haruhi's dad and Kotoko is her mother."
Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Haruhi, who found herself walking through the forest on her way home from her grandmother's. On her way, she saw a gray figure in the bushes. She approached it and found her eyes locked with those of a wolf. He stared innocently at her and she couldn't help but reach out her hand to pet him. However, right before her hand made contact, a gunshot was fired, and the wolf was dead.
"Father! Why did you kill it?"
"It was about to attack you, Haruhi! How many times have I told you not to walk this path after dark?"
Haruhi let her gaze fall from her father and land on the wolf. She knelt down beside it and closed her eyes, clearly upset.
"I lost track of time."
Ranka crouched down on the other side of the wolf and picked him up. He slung him over his shoulder, blood dripping from his wound and his mouth. Haruhi slowly stood up and dusted herself off.
"Come on, your mother is worried sick about us."
They walked silently down the moonlit path, both eager to get home. Ranka wanted to discard the wolf from his shoulder and Haruhi wanted to lock herself in her room. She was trailing a bit behind her father, not wanting to do anything to spark up a possible conversation or receive a look of any kind from him. She would occasionally look up to the dead creature and let her eyes water. She felt so responsible for its death.
When they finally made it home, Ranka placed the animal in front of the fire place, and Kotoko ran over to her daughter and locked her in a tight embrace.
"What in Heaven's name happened?"
"Your air-head of a daughter almost got herself killed!"
"Because he almost shot me!"
"Haruhi, don't speak like that of your father!"
"Look at what he did!"
Haruhi pointed down to the dead animal on the floor and her mother sighed. She put her head in her hands and tried to relax a bit before speaking. She let out one more sigh and continued on.
"He's only trying to protect the village, Haruhi."
"But the wolves haven't done anything! Why does he have to kill them?"
"Because they're horrible, foul, diseased creatures!"
"That's not true! Grandmother said-"
"Your grandmother is slightly mad!"
As the two women argued, Ranka sat down in his chair. After a few moments of rest and listening to the girls argue, he noticed something moving by the fireplace. He looked over and saw the wolf slowly stand up and let out a low growl. Within seconds it leaped towards him and viciously bit him in the neck. He slowly let go and let Ranka's body fall to the floor. Kotoko stood back, holding Haruhi close in order to protect her. Haruhi wiggled out of her grip, though, and walked towards the wolf.
"You're hurt. Let me help you."
As Haruhi extended her hand for the second time that night, the wolf growled and let the blood drip from his teeth. He sniffed her hands and hushed up, and all Kotoko could do was watch in horror and wait for the attack she knew was coming. Yet it never came, for the wolf backed away and leapt out the window, leaving Haruhi standing in the middle of the kitchen, while her mother fell to the floor.
"Mother!"
Haruhi ran over and knelt down by her. She tried to reach out and take her hand, but her mother back away and shoved her.
"Get away from me! You're a horrible, wretched child! Leave now, or I'll kill you!"
Haruhi backed away from her mother, who had grabbed a kitchen knife and held it out towards her, and ran out the door. She ran as fast as she could back down the path to her grandmother's house. As soon as she felt safe, she stopped to catch her breath. Tears streamed down her face and made her vision a bit blurry. She started to feel tired and she wanted desperately to curl up and sleep somewhere. She saw a tree with a cubby space by the roots and decided that that's as far as she was going to get tonight. She crouched down and crawled inside and made herself as comfortable as she could possibly get. She closed her eyes and let a wave of sleep wash over her.
In the morning, a boy went walking down the same path Haruhi had come from. He stopped by the tree she was sleeping in, when he spotted her little black shoe sticking out. He crouched down by the opening and peered inside.
"Hello, can I help you, young lady?"
Haruhi's eyes fluttered open and she rubbed them while yawning. When she was finally able to focus her vision, she saw the boy had his hand extended out for her to take. She took it while staring at him, a wondering look on her face.
"Have we met before?"
The boy smiled brightly at her and gently pulled her to her feet. He watched as she dusted herself off and straightened out her skirt.
"I don't think I've ever had the pleasure."
As she was picking the leaves out of her hair, she realized the awkwardness of their situation, and she let a light shade of pink spread across her face.
"Oh, please excuse me! I must have fallen asleep on the way to my grandmother's house. I better get there before she starts to worry."
"Would you like me to accompany you?"
"That won't be necessary, but thank you."
As Haruhi began to head off to her grandmother's, her foot got caught in a small hole in the ground and she fell. The boy saw this and ran to her side, grabbing her hand and pulling her back up. Her face was bright red and she was dusting herself off for the second time that morning.
"I think I had better go with you, just to make sure you get there safely."
"Thank you."
The two walked together in silence, neither really knowing what to say, but the boy couldn't help but stare at Haruhi all the way. They had reached the clearing of the forest in no time at all and Haruhi was shocked.
"I didn't realize how close by I was. It was so dark, I couldn't see."
After taking a few steps forward, Haruhi turned around to the boy and was about to thank him, when he started to speak.
"May I call on you in the future?"
Before she could answer, he started coughing, and pretty soon blood began to drip out of his mouth. He started to sway slightly and he almost toppled over, but Haruhi grabbed him and slung his arm over her shoulders. She helped him to the front door and opened it while calling out to her grandmother for help. She came out from the kitchen and stared at her granddaughter and the boy she was supporting.
"Who is this?"
"He walked me here. He's sick!"
"Alright, let's get him to bed."
She went and opened the door to the bedroom and let Haruhi help the boy into bed. She mixed up some medicine in the kitchen and told the boy to drink it. After a little while, Haruhi was asked to leave the room.
"Will he be O.K., grandmother?"
"He'll be fine, now please leave."
Haruhi walked out of the bedroom and stared out the kitchen window. She was looking out at the scenery, wondering about the boy. She felt somehow responsible for him getting sick, though she couldn't figure out why. She had done nothing to him and saw nothing happen to him. He just got sick all of a sudden. She wanted desperately to pace the room back and forth, but she willed herself to stay by the window. Her grandmother swore that the way she paced would wear out the floor.
After a little while longer, the bedroom door opened, and Haruhi's grandmother took a seat at the kitchen table. Haruhi walked over and took the seat next to her, curious as to the condition of the kind stranger.
"Well, I've done all I can."
"What's wrong with him?"
"Never mind that. What are you doing here? What happened?"
Haruhi slowly began to rattle off the events of last night, almost breaking down into tears as she did so. Her grandmother listened and was appalled by what she was hearing. When Haruhi finished, she wrapped her in a quick hug and rested her hand on her shoulder.
"I think your mother has gone insane! Poor dear."
Little did either of the two women know, the boy could hear everything from the bedroom. He heard Haruhi's story. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the edge. He grabbed on to the nearby nightstand and pushed himself up. He walked carefully over to the door and opened it, and on the other side, he was met with both Haruhi's and her grandmother's eyes.
"Well, hello! It's nice to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you."
"Why don't you take a seat? We're about to have dinner."
"That's very kind, but I must be going. My family must be worried."
"Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should rest longer."
"No, really, I'm fine. Thank you both for everything."
He walked up and gave Haruhi's grandmother a hug to express his thanks. He then turned and gave Haruhi a half-lidded look that she couldn't quite figure out. It wasn't dark and evil, but rather content and grateful. His gaze lingered for a moment before he spoke again.
"I would like to call on you again - that is, if your grandmother permits it."
A light blush spread across Haruhi's face, though she prayed he didn't notice, and when she looked up, she saw her grandmother come up behind the boy and pat him on the back. She was rather firm with it and she startled the young man.
"By all means! We look forward to your next visit!"
The boy smiled and walked towards the door, satisfied with her answer. Before he could turn the knob, Haruhi called out to him.
"Wait! I never got your name."
He turned to look her in the eye again - though this time his eyes appeared to be smiling - and he nodded his head curtly at her.
"Ah, pardon me. My name is Kaoru Hitachiin."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Haruhi Fujioka."
He nodded once again and walked out the door. He waved goodbye as he disappeared into the forest. Once he was out of sight, Haruhi closed the door and turned to see her grandmother smiling awkwardly at her.
"I think he fancies you."
"Do you really think so?"
"Don't be silly; didn't you see the way he looked at you?"
Haruhi turned her head and looked the other way, a light blush evident on her face. She walked further into the kitchen and began to prepare dinner. There was a fire lit in the fireplace and dinner was on the table in no time. Haruhi and her grandmother sat down and ate in silence. It wasn't eerie or uncomfortable, in fact, it was quite the opposite. However, after a few minutes in, Haruhi's grandmother stood up and pushed in her chair.
"It's late. I think I'd better get to bed."
"But grandmother, you've hardly touched your food."
"It's been a long day, dear heart, and I'm tired."
"Well goodnight then. I love you."
"I love you, too."
With that, she disappeared into her bedroom and shut the door. Haruhi, not knowing what else to do, gathered up the dishes and washed them, pulled the clothes off the line and folded them, put out the fire, and crawled into bed. In no time at all, she was soundly asleep.
The next morning, Haruhi was up early, making breakfast for her and her grandmother. Just as she was almost done, her grandmother walked out and put her hand on her head. After she put breakfast on the table, they had a light conversation, that is, until the subject of her mother was brought up.
"Why does mother hate wolves so much?"
"Fear, my dear. It's what feeds most forms of hatred. But enough talk of such dreary things - I suspect your gentleman caller will be arriving soon. You'd better hurry and get ready."
"What?"
"He came by much earlier this morning and asked if you'd like to go on a picnic. I assumed you would want to go."
"Oh, thank you!"
Haruhi ran off to her room and began getting ready. It had seemed that only a few minutes had passed before there was a knock on the front door. Haruhi listened from her room as her grandmother opened the door and let the boy in.
"Hello, my boy. You're looking quite well today."
"Thanks to you."
"Think nothing of it. Haruhi will be out in a moment."
A door opened behind the two and revealed a very lovely looking Haruhi. Her short brown hair framed her face perfectly and her sparkling brown eyes, along with the light blush on her face, made her look absolutely adorable. Kaoru stood in awe at the sight of her and watched as her grandmother draped a little red cape around her shoulders. Haruhi thanked her as she was scooted out the door. Her grandmother waved goodbye as the two walked off into the woods.
They walked the pine trails of the forest, silently but comfortably. They kept going until they reached a clearing with a small stream. Haruhi gasped in wonder and took in all the sights. She spotted a large rock on the other side of the stream and went over to it, gently touching it with her hand. It was oddly shaped like a sitting wolf, only without all of the fine details. She just stared at it for the longest time until Kaoru came up behind her.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Perhaps this isn't the best of spots. I couldn't help but overhear the story you told your grandmother. We can pick somewhere else if you like."
Haruhi turned slightly to face him and had a stern look on her face. She drew in a breath and calmly responded to him.
"Wolves don't frighten me."
A look of adoration fell upon his face, for he smiled gently at her and took her hand in his. He gazed at her for the longest time, while she could only stare back in confusion, not quite understanding why he was looking at her that way. He snapped himself out of his trance shortly after and attempted to make small talk.
"I hope you like what I brought."
He was holding up the picnic basket he had brought along with him and pulled out a small blanket for them to sit on. They ate casually in the small clearing, talking and laughing with one another. After they ate, they proceeded to climb a nearby tree. They stared out at the forest and just enjoyed each other's company. Haruhi couldn't help but marvel at the boy sitting next to her. He was exceptionally kind and warm and there was something about him that made her heart flutter. She couldn't place it, or explain it, but she was falling for him. It scared her a bit, her being so independent and all, but she couldn't bring herself to push away the feelings she held for him.
She pulled off the necklace her grandmother gave her to wear and carefully put it on him. He turned to her, confused by her actions, but she only smiled back at him.
"I want you to have this."
He blushed and muttered a 'thank you' as they watched the sun fall from the sky and let the moon take its place. Neither one of them had realized just how fast time went by, but now it was almost completely dark. Kaoru knew he had to get her home.
"It's getting dark. I should take you home now."
"But I don't want to leave yet."
"Your grandmother will worry if you're out for much longer."
Haruhi couldn't argue with that and followed after him as they climbed out of the tree. He gently took her hand and started along the path back home. They walked in silence again, neither of them wanting to actually go back. Haruhi was still mulling over her feelings, wondering what it was about him that captivated her so much. She loved the look in his glistening eyes that always seemed to look at her with pure happiness, the way his hand would always find hers and ensnare it tenderly, the way his soft voice resounded in her head like a lullaby... it was all enchanting. Yet none of that seemed to be what drew her to him. It was so puzzling, these emotions of hers.
Before she knew it, they were at her grandmother's doorstep. She walked inside and saw the place empty, but she assumed that her grandmother was sleeping. She turned back to Kaoru and hugged him, thanking him for such a wonderful day. Her welcomed her embrace and tried to take in as much of her as he could. The feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the gleam in her eyes - he committed it all to memory.
"Goodnight, my darling."
After bidding her farewell, he walked back the path they had just come from and disappeared into the night. She watched his retreating figure and smiled, closing the door as soon as she could no longer see him. She walked into her grandmother's bedroom to check on her and pulled back her covers slightly. What she found couldn't possibly be real, though.
"G-Grandmother?"
Standing before her was a gray and white wolf, hunched over and wearing her grandmother's glasses. Although menacing at first glance, the old creature was more than gentle. She jumped on Haruhi and began licking her face and rested her head on her shoulder. Haruhi giggled and hugged her, pleasantly surprised by all of this. Then something in the atmosphere changed, because the old wolf began growling and snarling at something behind the two of them. At first Haruhi thought she was the target, but then the wolf blew past her and lunged at the figure in the doorway.
Everything after that happened in slow motion. Haruhi saw a blade and watched as it was swung down on the beautiful creature. Blood went flying into the air - as did her grandmothers glasses - and she watched in horror as the gentle creature fell to the floor, slain. It was just like the one her father killed. Tears burned at her temporarily shut eyelids, but she refused to let them out. As soon as she opened her eyes again, she noticed that the figure resembled that of her mother. Upon closer speculation, she found it to be true. Her mother had slaughtered her grandmother.
"You killed her! How could you?"
"She's a horrid creature, just like you!"
As her mother walked towards her, ax still in hand, Haruhi backed away slightly.
"Mother, what are you doing? It's me, your daughter!"
"No, you take after her! It's already started!"
Confused as to what she was babbling about, Haruhi kept on backing up until she felt something change. She looked down at her hands and watched them transform into paws. The same thing happened to the rest of her body and, before she knew it, she had turned into a slender, magnificent gray wolf.
"I can't let you live! I should have killed you a long time ago!"
Before Haruhi could process everything taking place, her mother swung the ax down at her, attempting to lop her head off. Before any connection was made, a swift, white figure launched itself at her and sunk its teeth into her neck. Now it was her mother that fell to the ground, slain by the very 'horrid' creature that she attempted to kill. Haruhi looked at the other wolf in the room and saw that it was wearing the necklace she had given to Kaoru just awhile beforehand. It then clicked that this wolf was Kaoru.
It all made sense now. That mysterious thing about him that drew her to him was the fact that he was a wolf! It also explained why he gave her that adoring look when she told him she wasn't afraid of them. Everything tied itself together and clicked in her head.
She slowly walked up to him and, without warning, rubbed her nose with his. He stared at her in complete surprise, but gladly returned the gesture. Now that there was nothing but death looming in the house, and no one to care for, or care for her, she trotted out the door. Kaoru followed suit and they both ran off into the forest, following the moonlight, and preparing to live out their happily ever after.
"A/N: Wow, it took me forever to write this. This is my first Ouran High School Host Club fanfic, and I'm really nervous about what you guys will think of it. I've wanted to write a story with Haruhi and one of the hosts for awhile now and when I was going through my Nightmares & Fairy Tales collection, I found a few common stories that everyone (hopefully) knows. There was Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. I decided that Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella went better with another anime that I like, but Little Red Riding Hood didn't fit anywhere but here. Then it came down to picking a host and, after careful consideration, I decided that Kaoru was the best choice. Anyway, I'd really like to know what you guys think. Flaming is not appreciated, but criticism is welcomed. Hopefully, if this is any good, I can write more for OHSHC and write for Haruhi and the others hosts."